National League Winners & Losers Week 20

The New York Mets outfielder Yoenis Cespedes is red hot landing atop our list of National League Winners list. Cespedes who was traded to the Mets from the Detroit Tigers just before the deadline has been a key pickup the team needed. Since being acquired, Cespedes is hitting .311 with six doubles, one triple, seven home runs and 21 runs batted in.

While Cespedes has been hot at the plate, the Mets have been hot with him in the lineup. Since joining the team, the Mets have won 17 of 23 contests helping to build a six and half game lead over the Washington Nationals. Along with those 17 wins, the Mets have won six straight contests including sweeps over the Colorado Rockies as well as the Philadelphia Phillies.

While the Mets and Cespedes headline the list of top National League Winners, the latest stretch hasn’t been great for every player and team. One of those teams that have struggled of late has been the Atlanta Braves. The Braves have managed to win just one of their last ten games as they have fallen to 54-73 on the season.

The team’s current stretch includes losing seven straight games before picking up game one of a three game series against the Rockies on Monday. Looking back at the Braves seven game series, the team lost three straight to the San Diego Padres before being swept by the Chicago Cubs. In those seven games the Braves managed to score three or fewer runs in six of those seven contests as well as eight of their past nine games.

Here is the rest of the winners and losers from around the National League over the past week of the 2015 MLB season.

National League Winners:

Kris Bryant, Chicago Cubs: The Cubs rookie third baseman is putting together a solid rookie campaign. Currently Bryant is hitting .265 on the season with 20 home runs and 77 runs batted in. One of those home runs came on Monday as Bryant delivered a two out walk off home run against the Cleveland Indians. Bryant is hitting .346 over his last 26 at bats including three doubles, three home runs and nine runs batted in.

San Diego Padres: Since all eyes have been on the Los Angeles Dodgers who hold the top spot in the National League West, the Padres are slowly playing themselves back into the playoff picture. The team’s recent hot success includes winning seven of there past ten games to get within two games of a five hundred record. The winning started last Monday as the Padres swept the Braves before taking two of three against the St. Louis Cardinals. Currently the Padres are within eight games of the National League West top spot as September approaches.

Jake Arrieta, Chicago Cubs: Along with Bryant, Arrieta might be the biggest piece to the Cubs success this season. Entering the weekend, Arrieta is 16-6 with a 2.22 earned run average while striking out 178 batters. In his last outing, Arrieta pitched six innings allowing zero earned runs while the Cubs picked up an 8-5 win over the San Francisco Giants. Arrieta has not allowed more than three earned runs over his last ten outings including five games with zero earned runs.

Stephen Strasburg, Washington Nationals: The Nationals starter has yet to put together the season many expected from him this season. That being said, Strasburg has been brilliant in August allwing just five earned runs over 26 innings pitched. In four August starts, Strasburg is 3-1 while lowering his season’s earned run average to just 4.14 for the year.

National League Losers:

Buster Posey, San Francisco Giants: Posey had struggled entering the Giants game on Thursday against the Chicago Cubs. Prior to his two hit performance, Posey had picked up just five hits over his last 33 at bats including just one extra base hit a double on Wednesday against the Cubs. Along with the lack of extra bases, Posey had just two runs batted in over his last nine games as well.

Cincinnati Reds: For us we understand someone has to finish at the bottom of what might be the best division in all of baseball. The difficult part to seeing the Reds struggle this season is due to the talent this team has on their roster. That being said the team has just one win over their last ten games and have just one win over there last thirteen games. This stretch has dropped the Reds to last place in the division at just 52-74 on the year. Currently the Reds are riding a three game losing streak after being swept at home by the Los Angeles Dodgers with there only win over the past week coming against the Tigers on Monday.

Matt Cain, San Franicsco Giants: The Giants are right there in the National League West race but the team will need some additional pitching behind Madison Bumgarner if they want a chance to repeat as World Series Champs. That being said Cain hasn’t been the answer allowing at least four runs in five of his last six games. That includes six over five innings in the teams 8-5 loss to the Cubs. Cain dropped his record for the year to 2-4 as his earned run average ballooned to 6.15 over his ten starts.

Pedro Alvarez, Pittsburgh Pirates: The Pirates power hitting corner infielder continues to struggle despite hitting his 21st home run of the season on Thursday. Including that home run, Alvarez has just two over his last ten games while picking up just four hits in his last 18 at bats while striking out eight times.

My name is Peter Tebin but most people just call me PJ. My life consists of work, my family, & sports. In my free time I love to write and talk sports mostly NBA, NFL & MLB as well as Fantasy sports. Peter will be covering our baseball news so you'll have plenty to read about now that NFL season is done.